The Kell surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 4,568 people carried this name — #7,298 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 64,500 people counted. That is down 11% from 5,131 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Kell surname

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a local name, from where the family lived: ‘at the keld’.

An early record he cites: William del Keld, 1396 — Cartularium Abbathiae de Whiteby.

His entry covers Keld and Kell.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 442 · public domain.

In Ireland’s birth registers, 1890

Ireland registered 6 births for the Kell name in 1890.

Most were registered in Ulster. By the Registrar-General’s own method — births multiplied by 44.38 — that is about 300 people bearing the name in Ireland at the time. The Registrar-General’s note on the name: “5 in Antrim.”

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they were born, 1890

Ulster 5
Connacht 1

Registrar-General for Ireland, «Special Report on Surnames in Ireland» (R. E. Matheson, 1894), births index of 1890 — public domain.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

17 families named Kell, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 101 people lived in those households, 5.9 to a family on average. The table counts it together with 2 other spellings. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

North Carolina 6
New York 3
Pennsylvania 3
South Carolina 3
Maryland 2

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 248 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Kell in American newspapers,
1903–1922.

Newspaper page from Evening Bulletin carrying the name Kell
Evening Bulletin 1903-01-20
Newspaper page from Rawlins Republican carrying the name Kell
Rawlins Republican 1922-04-06
Newspaper page from Wausau Pilot carrying the name Kell
Wausau Pilot 1922-11-16

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 178,682 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Kell in Australian newspapers,
1830s–1990s.

96,753 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Kell. The most, 58,645, date from the 1940s. New South Wales has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in the Australian Capital Territory, at 2.7 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 63,486
Victoria 10,175
Queensland 8,691
Western Australia 5,032
South Australia 4,472
Tasmania 2,552
ACT (Canberra) 1,901
Northern Territory 234

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Kell.

Who carried it

People named Kell,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Kathleen Sophie Lett d. 1946
  • Thomas Spencer Kell d. 1945
  • Robert Kell 1761–1842
  • Edmund Kell 1799–1874 · priest
  • Henrietta Kell 1811–1877
  • Julius Kell 1813–1849 · writer

Wikidata (CC0) · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Kell,
in the records of 7 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States647 records

647 records of the Kell name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 213
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 199
  • Other U.S. records 235
  1. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Lyle Francis Kell

    Born 1950; from Wood Dale, Illinois. U.S. Army, infantryman; killed in action 1969 in Binh Duong, South Vietnam. Buried at Rock Island National Cemetery, Illinois.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Leo J. Kell

    Born 1915 in Illinois. Enlisted 1945 at Camp Beale Marysville, California; driver. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1962, buried at Golden Gate National Cemetery, California.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Max Kell

    Arrived at New York in 1904 aboard the Belgravia from Cuxhaven, aged 26; pastry cook. From Berlin, Germany; bound for New York.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 647 records for Kell in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Australia245 records

245 records of the Kell name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 134
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 59
  • Other Australian records 52
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record Edmund Kell

    Transported to New South Wales aboard the Asia, arriving 1837; ticket of leave 1844.

    Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record James Kell

    Arrived in Queensland in 1886 aboard the Duke of Westminster, aged 1.

    Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record William G. Kell

    Former architect of Box Hill, Victoria; died 1934.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 245 records for Kell in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · ACT Government, Transport Canberra and City Services (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

Germany134 records

134 records of the Kell name in Germany Germany's First World War casualty lists, 1914–1919
  1. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Emil Kell

    From Bredow, Randow. Listed as returned from captivity in the Prussian casualty list of 24 June 1915; then reported dead in the list of 11 September 1915 (Reserve Infantry Regiment No. 265).

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)
  2. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Johann Kell

    From Aachen. Reported dead in the Prussian casualty list of 26 June 1918.

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)

Showing 2 of 134 records for Kell in Germany.

Counts: Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Deutsche Verlustlisten, Prussian list 1116, 18 April 1918 (scan via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0).

Canada107 records

107 records of the Kell name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 84
  • City of Calgary cemetery records 8
  • Other Canadian records 15
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Irene Alma Kell

    Buried in 1988 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 96.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record John Kell

    Came to Ontario in 1879, bound for London, Ontario; English.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Alexander MacIntosh Kell

    Died 1972 in Antigonish, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.

Showing 3 of 107 records for Kell in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

Netherlands33 records

33 records of the Kell name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch population registers 15
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 11
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 7
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Stephan Kell

    Married in 1906 in Heerlen; miner.

    Open Archives, Regionaal Historisch Centrum Limburg (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Dirkje Kell

    Died 1853 in Leeuwarden, aged 84.

    Open Archives, AlleFriezen (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Adrianus Kell

    Buried in 1804 in Utrecht.

    Open Archives, Het Utrechts Archief (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 33 records for Kell in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

United Kingdom9 records

9 records of the Kell name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 8
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 1
  1. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record T. Kell

    Hussars. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record J. R. Kell

    Corporal, Machine Gun Corps. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record J. Kell

    Essex Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 9 records for Kell in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

France8 records

8 records of the Kell name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Solange Kell

    Born 1903 in Martaizé; died 1993 in Loudun (Vienne).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Charles Kell

    Born 1899 in Paris; died 1976 in Paris.

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  3. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Andree Gabrielle Kell

    Born 1912 in Ancy-sur-Moselle; died 1983 in Metz (Moselle).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Showing 3 of 8 records for Kell in France.

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Kell.

When the index is not enough

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